Breathe No More: A Canon Zutara
by cat.cruz93
Summary: "but i know the difference between myself and my reflection, i just help but wonder which of us do you know? so i bleed, i bleed, and i breathe, i breathe, no more..." my take on Zuko and Katara's relationship during the show


**Breathe No More; a one sided Zutara**

_**I've been looking in the mirror for so long, that I've come to believe that my soul's on the other side. All the little pieces falling…shatter…shards of me, too sharp to put back together. Too small to matter, but big enough to cut me into so many little pieces if I try to touch her….**_

Guilt over whelmed him like a plague, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat.

"_AANG NO!" her heart broken cry of anguish filled the cave as she soared to catch him before he fell to his death. _

"Zuko?" Mai looked worried…and he knew why, but wouldn't do anything to change it, he needed to fix what he did, even if it killed him in the end, he couldn't do that to Katara, not after what she offered him, a scar-less face, an unbranding, he life back. Her saddened betrayed blue eyes haunted his every thought, his every blink, he wouldn't be able to take much more.

_**And I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe no more…**_

_Swoosh! _ Zuko fell backwards on to the cavern floor, "What do you want?" Katara barked. Zuko cowered at the anger and hatred in her tone, he never wanted that, never wanted to hurt her.

"I'm truly sorry for what happened in Ba sing se, I heard the Avatar was in need of a Fire bending teacher, I'm here to offer my humble serves to the cause." He said, holding his arms out, his head bent to face the floor, "You may take me as your prisoner, if you feel that would be safer." He offered, biting his lip. This was his last chance and he knew it. There was silence before Sokka, atleast that's who Zuko thought was talking, asked.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Zuko smiled wryly at their protectiveness, if only he had the same, no one cared whether he lived or died at this point, not even Uncle, for all Zuko knew.

"I admit, you can't, I have done nothing but encourage mistrust in the past and-" quite suddenly a wet slobbering mass nocked Zuko to the side and even more completely soaking him in warm slobber. He heard Aang laugh.

"Well Appa likes him well enough." Zuko rolled his eyes, leave it to the Avatar to trust a flying cow's judgment.

_**Take breath and I try to draw from my spirit's well, yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child. Lie to me convince me that I've been sick forever, and all of this will make sense when I get better. But I know the difference between myself and my reflection, I just can't help but wonder, which of us do you know? So…**_

"Aang may trust you now, but I know better, and until you can prove to me otherwise, consider yourself being under watch." And with that Katara left his room, left him alone, in his darkness. _That wasn't me, I __don't even know who that was, that Imposter . Katara __please! Try to understand! _He wanted to scream! He wanted to grab her and let her see him for who he really was and not who she had come to understand him to be.

"_For the longest time, when I imagined the enemy's face, it was your face I saw."_

_ "My face… I see…" _

His heart stung at the memory, she was so kind to him, so caring, like his mother, he missed that, so deeply. And he royally screwed it up by going with Azula, because he was afraid, afraid of his little spoilt sister. "AAH DAMNIT AZULA!" he bellowed falling on to his makeshift bed and pulling at his hair, and curling into a ball. "Damn it." He muttered.

_**I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe no….**_

"What? No lightning? Afraid I'll redirect it?" Zuko asked with a cocky smirk going into the beginning stance, waiting for the rush of adrenaline. Azula narrowed her golden half-crazed eyes, a smug look was shot back at him as she pulled the power for the blow out of thin air and at the last second shot the build of energy at Katara and Zuko's heart stopped…

_**Bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe….**_

"No!" Zuko took off running and leaping in front of the water tribe beauty just in time in intercept the blow, the lightning hitting him square in the chest, his vision narrowing. The last thing he heard was Katara's scream.

_**I breathe, I breathe no more….**_

"ZUKO!"

**although i have no clue how it happened, the plot bunny snuck up on me on my way to work while listening to Evanscance. a thought occurred to me that this song really fits Zuko and Katara well especially in the Canon realm (which i personally like to belief is an alternate reality in this case) so i sat down and this is what i got. i hope you enjoy it. let me know what you think?**

**~Cat**


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